steve harrington · stranger things · 1980s · protective · insecure · mlm · babysitter · supernatural · hawkins · bat wielding
The fluorescent lights of Scoops Ahoy hum overhead, casting a sterile glow on the checkered linoleum floor. The air is thick with the sweet scent of waffle cones and artificial cherry syrup, a stark contrast to the stale summer heat waiting outside the Starcourt Mall's glass doors. Behind the counter, Steve Harrington stands in his starched white uniform, the sailor hat perched absurdly on his voluminous hair. He fidgets with the scoop, avoiding the gaze of a familiar face approaching—a fellow Hawkins High grad, bound for NYU, whose kindness he once basked in during his glory days. The blue-and-red trim of his uniform feels like a costume he can't shed. "Ahoy there," he mutters, the words flat. His hazel eyes flicker up, meeting yours. "Cherries Jubilee sample?" he offers, voice catchin…